Manufacture of pens or pen points



Dec. 31, 1940. L. H. ASHMORE MANUFACTURE OF PENS on PEN POINTS Original Filed May 29, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l l-NVENTEIR. LannHehl hmure,

Dec. 31, 1940. L. H. AsHMbRE 2,226,542

MANUFACTURE OF PENS OR PEN POINTS Original Filed May 29, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN'T'DR LennHehl s are, 1:

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Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MANUFACTURE OF PENS R PEN POINTS Leon Hehl Ashmore, Collingswood, N. J assignor to The Esterbrook Steel Pen Manufacturing 00., Camden, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey 1937, Serial No. 136,483

6 Claims.

The present application is a division of my application for patent filed May 29, 1933, Serial No. 673,500.

My invention relates to the manufacture of pens and/or pen points particularly adapted for, though not limited to, use in fountain pens and it comprises an improved method or process of making pens or pen points.

The main object of my invention is to provide an improved method or process of making a pen or pen point with an improved form of writing tip.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved method or process of making a Writing tip for pens and/or pen points by reshaping an integral part of the metal blank from which such pen or pen point is made.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved method or process of producing a pen or pen point particularly available for, though not limited to, use in fountain pens, by a series of manual and mechanical steps Whereby pen stock of a special character is transformed into an improved form of pen or pen point having nibs with shaped protuberances on the underside thereof to form a writing tip.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved method or process of making a pen or pen point with a form of shaped writing tip integral with and harder than the metal of which the body of the pen or pen, point is composed.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved method or process of making a pen or pen point made from a stainless" ferrous metal having a writing tip, which may be of rounded contour, integral With and harder than the metal of which the body of the pen or pen point is composed.

A further object of my invention is toprovide an improved method or process of making, from a special form of pen stock metal having an enlarged rib or thickened wall of relatively narrow width, blanks employed in my improved method or process of producing pens or pen points with such rib or thickened wall portion positioned at and forming the writing tip end of the pen or pen point.

And a still further object of my invention is to provide an improved method or process of producing pens and/or pen points from sheet metal stock having a varying cross-sectional dimension which gradually decreases in thickness from the enlarged or thicker part of the stock, or from a Zone adjacent to the enlarged rib or thickened part of the stock from which the writing tip of the pen or pen point is formed, to the heel or opposite end of the pen or pen point body.

These and other features of my invention are more particularly described hereinafter, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, more or less diagrammatic in character, in which:

Figures 1 and 1 are plan and edge views, respectively, somewhat enlarged, of one form of metal stock which may be employed in the production of pens or pen points in accordance with my invention.

Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 6 are views similar to Fig. 1, illustrating other forms of metal stock which may be employed in the production of pens or pen points in accordance with my invention.

Figs; 2 3 4 5 and 6 are edge views, respectively, of the several forms of metal stock illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Figs. 7 and '7 are plan and edge views, respectively, somewhat enlarged, illustrating another type of metal stock which may be employed in the production of pens or pen points in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 8 is an inverted plan view, on a still larger scale, of a pen or pen point blank produced from metal stock of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 and 1 or 7 and 7 Fig. 8 is an edge view of the blank shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 9 is an inverted plan view of the writing tip of the blank, on the same scale as Fig. 8, after the first step in the operation of developing the same into a pen or pen point.

Fig. 9 is an edge view of the writing tip end of the blank in the condition illustrated in Fig. 9.

Fig. 10 is an inverted plan view of the blank after the second step in the operation of developing the same .into a pen or pen point.

Fig. 10 is an edge view of the writing tip end of the blank in the condition shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10, illustrating the blank after the third and fourth steps in the operation of developing the same into a pen or pen point.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line XI-XI, Fig. 11.

Figs. 12, 12 13, 13 14, 14 and 15, 15 are views similar to Figs. 10 and 10, respectively, illustrating some of the modified forms of writing tip formation.

Fig. 16 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of a finished pen or pen point made in accordance with the method or process forming the subject of 'myinvention.

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the finished pen or pen point shown in Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a front elevation of the pen or pen point shown in Figs. 16 and 17.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating a detail of my invention.

Fig. 20 is a view similar to Fig. 18, illustrating a further form of rounded writing tip formation for the ends of the nibs, within the scope of my invention, and

Figs. 21 and 22 are edge views of still other forms of metal stock which may be employed in the production of pens or pen points" in accordance with my invention.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved method or process of making pens or pen points from a suitable type of metal stock provided with a thickened rib or equivalent thicker portion from which blank may be out having enlarged points and from which writing tips, which may be rounded, may be formed by reshaping such enlarged portion of the blank. This reshaping may be effected by swaging or otherwise forming such enlarged points; such writing tips being integral with the metal of which the pens or pen points are composed. The condensation of the metal operated upon, especially if of the stainless ferrous type and incident to the swaging operation, produces a writing tip harder than the rest of the metal of which the pen or pen point is composed.

While various types of metal may be employed, among which may be mentioned gold, and alloys of gold, of varying degrees of purity and hardness, silver, alloys of various kinds, brass, and stainless and non-corrosive metals, I prefer to employ metals familiarly known as stainless ferrous metals which, in addition to their noncorrosive characteristics, possess proper-ties particularly available and desirable in the production of pens or pen points in accordance with my invention. The type of stainless steel containing molybdenum is particularly appropriate for the manufacture of pens and/or pen points in accordance with my invention.

In the production of pens or pen points having an enlarged writing tip, which may be rounded, in accordance with my invention, I employ a form of metal stock which is rolled with a rib, or enlarged or thickened portion conveniently located to permit pen or pen point blanks'to be stamped therefrom with the thickened or rib portion or other enlarged portion at the point or writing tip end of such blanks. This thickened rib or other enlarged portion of the stock may be of varying contour, as illustrated in the drawings; the essential objectbeing to provide sufficient metal to permit a swaging, compressing and/or other shaping operation in order that such thicker end of the blank may be rounded or given other contours and developed into oval or other suitable shape and/or contour to provide the improved writing tip forming the subject of my invention.

A type of metal stock having the preformed form of thickened rib portion is illustrated in Fig. 1 and 1 and '7 and 7*. Other forms of stock from which myimproved pen points may be made are illustrated in Figs. 2, 2 3, 3 4, 4 5, 5 6, 6 and 21 and 22, and it will be understood that the positioning of the blanking means with respect to such thicker rib or other enlarged portion of the stock may be such that any desired part of the same may be included in the blank.

In some instances, it may be desirable to pro- Figs. 1 2 3 et seq.

vide a portion of the thickened writing tip on the upper side of the nibs and the type of stock illustrated in Figs. 3 and 3 is rolled with this object in View.

In all instances, I prefer to provide a stock which is tapered in cross section longitudinally of the pen blank; that is to say, is thicker at the point from which the writing tip is developed, or at the Zone directly adjacent the thicker portion which may be in the form of a rib from which the writing tip is subsequently formed than at the end of the pen shank, as clearly illustrated in In certain views of the drawings, the tapered portion of the stock is indicated at A, and the thicker rib portion at B. The stock shown in Fig. 21 and indicated at A is substantially wedge-shape in cross section. Fig. 22 shows somewhat similar stock, having a definitely thick portion B with parallel faces between the lines a and b, adjacent one edge, for instance, and a tapering portion A between the line b and the edge 0.

From a sheet of metal stock which may be of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 and 1 or 7 and '7 (or from any forms of the stock), I may produce blanks C of substantially the contour or shape indicated by the dotted lines x in the several views. These blanks may be completely out from the sheets of stock and subsequently finished separately, or partial cuts may be made in the stock, as indicated by the full lines 11/, and the writing tip portions of the connected blanks finished in steps of a continuous operation in which the thicker ends of the blanks are successively acted upon, by swaging or other shaping means, to produce the writing tip protuberances before the individual blanks are severed from the sheet or strip of stock.

One form of blank, illustrated in Figs. 8, 8 9, 9 et seq., and which may be made from a sheet of metal stock of the character illustrated in Figs. 1 and 1 (or Figs. '7 and 7 for instance, consists of a body portion 5 which is tapering in cross section longitudinally and constitutes the major part of the pen or pen point, and a thicker end portion 6 from which the writing tip portion of the finished pen or pen point is developed. Any of the forms of stock illustrated in Figs. 2, 2 3, 3*, et seq., may be employed in the formation of the blanks.

The blank shown in Fig. 8, or a strip of the same, is passed to suitable swaging dies or other shaping means whereby the thickened portion 6 at the writing tip end of the blank is swaged, compressed, extruded, milled, and/or otherwise formed to the desired shape that the protuberance or protuberances of the finished writing tip is to have. As illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, et seq., this shaped protuberant portion, which is on the underside of the pen point blank at; the writing tip end of the same, may be oval in outline or contour, as indicated at In. As a result of the swaging, compressing, and/or other forming operation, employed to produce the shaped protuberance ll], part of the thicker portion of metal 6 at the writing tip end of the blank may be spread beyond the outline or contour the finished writing tip is to have, as shown at 6, Figs. 9 and 9 and the next operation is to trim off this extended or extruded portion of the metal so that the blank with the finished end constituting the writing tip will be substantially of the shape and contour illustrated in Fig. 10.

The next steps in the operation of producing my improved pen or pen point are to punch the der surface of the nibs.

. dicated at 58 hole in the'blank, and to slot the blank between such hole and the writing tip end to produce the pair of nibs. A blank so prepared is illustrated in Fig; 11,- the punched hole (familiarly known as the "pierce"hole) being indicated at H, and the slot at 52. This slotting operation, which may be effected in any suitable manner that will definitely remove a portion of the metal of the blank, divides the forward end of the blank from which the pen or pen point is: subsequently formed, into a pair of nibs; each'with substantially one-half of the shaped protuberance forming the writing tip, as indicated at Ill After this operation, the blank may be shaped by suitable die action or otherwise, in the usual manner common in the'manufacture of pens or pen points; in other words, raised, to the desired curvature the pen or pen point is to have, as illustrated in Figs. 16, 17 and 18; Fig. l'lshowing the upper surface of the pen or pen point, while 18 shows the front end of the finished pen point, In these views, a writing tip of the character illustrated in Figs. 9, 1'0 and 11 is shown; the protuberances W being disposedon the un- In some instances it may be desirable to provide the upper surface of the nibs with a writing tip available for use by reversing the position of the pen, and in Fig. 20 I have shown a. form of writing tip having the protuberances le on the under surfaces of the nibs, and other protuberances, continuous with those shown at til disposed on the upper surfaces of the nibs, but smaller in size than those shown at it the upper protuberances being in- A writing tip point of this character may be made from metal stock of the type illustrated in Figs. 3 and 3 or from any stock such as shown in Figs. 21 and 22.

As has been described, the metal of the blank at or in the region or zone directly adjacent to the swaged, compressed, and/or otherwise formed writing tip portion ll] of the pen or pen point, may be thicker than the metal at the end of the shank; such metal tapering in thickness to the latter end, and in shaping the blank into pen or pen point form, the points of the nibs are brought into closer relationship; substantially into con tact, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 17 and 18, and in the diagrammatic view, Fig. 20; substantially closing the slot at the extreme point of the writing tip end of the pen. From this point of contact, however, the slot opens to its full width adjacent to the pierce hole It. The walls of the tapering slot developed by this step in the operation of producing my improved pen or pen point provide capillary surfaces along which the ink may fiow and insure perfect feed to the writing tip end of the pen or pen point.

It will be understood that writing tips, which may differ in shape or contour from the oval forms illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, et seq., may be produced from the type of stock illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, et seq., and obvious forms are illustrated in Figs. 12, 12 13, 13 14, 14 15 and 15 The blank indicated as having been out from the stock shown in Fig. 6 has a round end and such form may be useful in producing a round or hemi-spherical writing tip I00, as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 12 In Figs. 13 and 13 I have shown a writing tip of another form, indicated at Ett oval in plan and sloping from the forward end of the pen or pen point to the body portion thereof. In Figs. 14 and 14: I have shown an elongated writing tip portion, indicated at I 00*, and in Figs. 15 and 15 I have shown a form I00",

adapted to produce a writing tip of stub form; the metal sloping from the thick end of'the blank to the body portion thereof.

While I have-referred to a swaging operation as the means by which the shaped protuberances may be produced, it will be understood that other means of manipulating or operating upon the thickened tip portion of the metal blanks may be employed; including milling operations. I may also provide means that will draw a portion of the metal into a state or condition thicker than the preformed stockto increase in any direction the dimensions of the protuberance from which the writing tip is finally formed, and that such drawn portion may be subsequently condensed to 1 thedesired form or contour such writing tip is to have. i

In operating upon stainless ferrous metals, the cold manipulationof the metal has a tendency to harden the same so that in thermal development of the pen or pen point in' accordance with my invention the writing tip, which is "an integral part of the metal comprising the pen or pen point, is much harder than the rest of the same. The final step of bringing the ends of the nibs into closer proximity, in completing the shaping of the pen or pen point effects a further and final hardening of the writing tip.

It will be understood that, while manipulation of certain metals available for use in the production ofmy improved pen or p'en point will cause the same to harden and particularly the writing tip portion of the same, the hardening of such metal or other metals for the production of the harder writing tip may be eifected by other means well known in the art of hardening metals.

It will be understood that the various types of metal stock illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 21 and 22, may be manipulated in any suitable manner to produce pen or pen point blanks from which the desired writing tips can be produced in any manner heretofore described, or otherwise.

Various modifications may be made in the above-described embodiment of my invention, and other forms of metal stock may be employed in carrying out my improved method or process of manufacturing writing pens or pen points without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:-

1. The method of making pens or pen point blanks for the production of pens or pen points with thickened writing tip ends which comprises providing stainless ferrous metal stock in strip form with a thickened edge portion; cutting said stock into pen or pen point blanks with the thickened edge portion at the end which subsequently forms the sole Writing tip of the pen or pen point; shaping such thickened portion to writing tip form; piercing and slotting the blanks at the writing tip end to provide a pair of nibs each with a portion of said shaped tip, "and finally raising the blanks to pen or pen point form and bringing the shaped tip ends of the nibs into meeting relation.

2. The method of making pens or pen points with thickened writing tip ends which comprises providing stainless ferrous metal stock in strip form with a thickened edge portion; cutting said stock into pen or pen point blanks with the thickened edge portion at the end which subsequently forms the sole writing tip of the pen or pen point; shaping such thickened end portion into a solid protuberance of symmetrical form;

piercing and slotting the blanks at the writing tip end to form separate nibs each with a portion of said solid symmetrical protuberance; raising the blanks to pen or pen point form, and bringing the thickened ends of the nibs into closer proximity whereby a tapered slot is provided between the nibs extending from the thickened writing tip end to the pierce hole.

3. The method of making pens or pen points with thickened writing tip ends which comprises providing sheet metal of stainless ferrous type in strip form of varying thickness and having a definitely thickened portion in one zone; cutting said stock into pen or pen point blanks with the definitely thickened portion at the end which subsequently forms the sole writing tip end of the pens or pen points; forming such thicker end into a solid protuberance of symmetrical shape; piercing the blanks; slotting the blanks from the pierce hole to the writingtip end to form a pair of nibs each with a portion of said symmetrical protuberance; raising the blanks to pen or pen point form and simultaneously bringing the ends of the writing tip portion into closer proximity whereby a tapered slot is left between such writing tip end and the pierce hole, the shaping of such thickened end into a solid protuberance definitely hardening the metal comprising such protuberance.

4. The art of forming a pen or pen point blank for the production of a pen or pen point with a thickened writing tip end which comprises rolling stainless ferrous metal into sheet stock of strip form having an enlarged edge part thicker than the metal extending therefrom and which is of a tapered form of gradually reduced thickness; cutting blanks from said stock whereof the said enlarged part or end which subsequently forms the sole writing tip of the finished pen or pen point is disposed at one end of the same; shaping such thicker writing tip end portion into a solid rounded protuberance of symmetrical form; slotting said writing tip end portion to produce a pair of nibs, and thereafter setting the points of said nibs into closer relation when raising the blanks to pen or pen point form.

5. The art of forming a pen or pen point with a thickened writing tip end which comprises rolling stainless steel into sheet stock form with an area or portion thicker than the part extending therefrom and which latter is of tapered form of gradually reduced thickness; cutting pen or pen point blanks from said sheet stock whereof the thicker area or part forms the sole Writing tip portion of pens or pen points subsequently formed from such blanks; shaping such thickened end into a symmetrically protuberant portion; dividing such thickened end and its protuberant portion into separate nibs while the blank is in the flat condition, and finishing the blanks thus produced into complete pens or pen points.

6. The method of making pens or pen points which comprises providing ferrous metal stock in sheet form with a thickened portion; cutting said stock into pen or pen point blanks with the thickened portion disposed at the ends of such blanks which subsequently form the writing tips of the pens or pen points; shaping such thickened end portions into solid protuberances of symmetrical form; piercing and slotting the blanks at the writing tip end to form separate nibs each with a portion of said protuberances; raising the blanks to pen or pen point form, and bringing the thickened ends of the nibs into closer proximity whereby a tapered slot is provided between the nibs extending from the thickened writing tip end to the pierce hole.

LEON I-IEHL ASI-IMORE. 

